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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/27026878">Nearly</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/anticyclone/pseuds/anticyclone'>anticyclone</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Hidden Legacy Series - Ilona Andrews</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Banter, Flirting, Magic, Multi, Polyamory, Tactile magic</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-10-15</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-10-15</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-06 17:01:28</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Teen And Up Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>3,492</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/27026878</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/anticyclone/pseuds/anticyclone</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>The shrug Rogan gave was expansive. He did not bother to hide his grin. "I don't know. She might think it was hot."</p>
<p>Breaking into a suspect's office during a party would have gone smoothly, if Augustine hadn't slightly miscalculated. Quickly disguising himself as Nevada should also have gone smoothly, if Rogan hadn't decided to tease Augustine about it.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Nevada Baylor/Augustine Montgomery/Connor "Mad" Rogan</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>2</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>20</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Collections:</b></td><td>Shipoween 2020 - The Halloween Ship Exchange!</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>Nearly</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><ul class="associations">
      <li>For <a href="https://archiveofourown.org/users/sadlikeknives/gifts">sadlikeknives</a>.</li>



    </ul></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>"Nevada isn't going to like this," Rogan said.</p>
<p>Augustine had already finished picking the lock on Joseph Ebaugh's desk, though, so it was late to be protesting. "We aren't looking for evidence to put forth to a court of law. We are searching for information to determine whether continuing to investigate Ebaugh Enterprises is a wise use of our resources."</p>
<p>Rogan made a dissatisfied noise, but drifted over to the desk. The door of the study was, of course, closed. Both of them wore tuxedos and the noise of the party downstairs drifted up through the venting. It had taken three minutes to separately and discreetly exit the event and make their way up to the second floor. That meant very little time remained to make taking this risk worth it.</p>
<p>Despite what Rogan might believe, Augustine did factor Nevada's disapproval into whether the risk would be worth it. If he found nothing, it would be an absolutely failed venture for more than one reason.</p>
<p>"What are you looking for?" Rogan asked.</p>
<p>"A diary labeled 'My Evil Ambitions' would be helpful."</p>
<p>"Are you speaking from personal experience?"</p>
<p>Augustine pointed at a set of chairs by the window. The low coffee table between them held an assortment of magazines, but also what looked like an address book. "Please make yourself useful and go through that. If something looks suspicious, take a photo with your cell phone."</p>
<p>"Sir," Rogan said, dryly.</p>
<p>"Try that again later and it may get you somewhere," Augustine replied, which at least made Rogan smirk.</p>
<p>The papers in the desk drawer were less useful than he'd hoped, but not useless. He took several quick pictures, waited for them to auto sync to his cloud backup, and then deleted them from local storage. Then he closed the drawer again. There was a yellow sticky note under the computer keyboard with a password on it. It turned out that Augustine didn't need to use it because the computer was unlocked. Checking the power settings was a waste of time but he couldn't resist. Yes, Joseph had set his computer not to lock until it had been idle for two hours.</p>
<p>Honestly. Augustine had seen children with a better grasp of cybersecurity principles.</p>
<p>"He has a number in here for Marlene Cutter that's different than the numbers she provided to Nevada," Rogan said. He snapped a photo of the address book and tucked his phone away.</p>
<p>"I would have preferred an email address, but I can work with a phone number." Augustine scowled at the computer.</p>
<p>"What?"</p>
<p>"Joseph is the kind of client I would find a way to fire, because someone who leaves their computer unlocked and stays logged into their email is beyond help."</p>
<p>Rogan walked over and put his hands down on the other side of the desk. "This is not the time for another lecture about password managers," he said. "Can we go? The longer we stay, the greater the chance that someone walks in on us."</p>
<p>"Yes. There's nothing useful here. It's all eBay notices and PayPal receipts." Augustine pushed back from the desk. "I have a few interesting pieces of information. Don't worry, I'll be the one to tell Nevada, so she can blame it all on me. We'll need to reenter the party from different doors and at different-"</p>
<p>Joseph Ebaugh's voice was slightly slurred, overly loud, and directly on the other side of the office door when he said, "In here."</p>
<p>This hadn't factored into Augustine's calculations. Joseph liked nothing more than playing the host. He didn't belong to a House, but he enjoyed big, showy events, which was probably the only reason he had bothered hiring security for this one. None of the agents had even been stationed on the second floor. And unless security had alerted him to their presence, Joseph wouldn't have left the party to visit his office. Security that would have focused on corralling Rogan and himself before sending for Joseph. There was a distinct lack of burly and armed security cornering them in the office, so why… </p>
<p>Then Augustine heard a second voice say, "Won't someone come looking for you here?"</p>
<p>"Nah. This is the last place they'd look."</p>
<p>Rogan grimaced. He was eyeing the window in a way Augustine didn't like.</p>
<p>Augustine whispered, "I'm not jumping out a window. Come here."</p>
<p>"Why?"</p>
<p>The doorknob started to turn.</p>
<p>Augustine latched onto the front of Rogan's tuxedo.</p>
<p>As Rogan opened his mouth, probably to ask 'Why?' again, Augustine quickly pulled a new illusion up, at the same time he pulled Rogan around the corner of the desk.</p>
<p>By the time Joseph and the woman accompanying him had stumbled into the room, Augustine wore Nevada's face. He'd also been picked up and set on the edge of the desk.</p>
<p>Rogan stood between Augustine's knees and had his hands on the small of Augustine's back. His mouth was pressed with slightly more force than necessary to Augustine's, but if it sold the scene, needs must.</p>
<p>For his part Augustine had reached up and crossed his wrists together behind Rogan's neck in the delicate but firm way he'd watched Nevada do on more than one occasion. He had taken time to study Nevada's dark purple gown when she and Rogan had entered the party that evening and was sure he'd reproduced it perfectly, if sightly rumpled around his legs. The actual problem was the shoes. By virtue of the hemline of the gown, Augustine had not had a good view of Nevada's heels. The color was certainly spot on, but the details, especially of the back of the shoes? He had to hope that Joseph wouldn't notice that kind of thing.</p>
<p>From the way Joseph laughed and his companion said, "Oh, excuse us," the illusion was convincing enough.</p>
<p>Augustine broke out of the kiss and thumped Rogan lightly on the shoulder. "Rogan!" he chided, in Nevada's voice.</p>
<p>Rogan let out a soft growl, which so absolutely over the top all Augustine could do was stare at him. Surely he didn't act like that in public with Nevada.</p>
<p>It didn't seem to throw Joseph, who laughed again. "Hey, folks, not to break up a good time, but this is a private room," he drawled.</p>
<p>"I told you," Augustine said. He pushed on Rogan's shoulders until Rogan took a reluctant step back, allowing Augustine to slide down to the floor. The trick with wearing an illusion like this was to remember posture. If he was supposed to be wearing heels, he needed to hold his back and his shoulders in a certain way. "I said we should find a different room."</p>
<p>Rogan threw in an only slightly petulant, "It was unlocked."</p>
<p>Nevada-Augustine didn't acknowledge this. "I am so sorry, Mr. Ebaugh, please accept our apologies."</p>
<p>Joseph held up both hands, palms out. His companion had leaned heavily against his side and was smirking at them. She winked at 'Nevada,' and Augustine purposefully turned his face pink with embarrassment. </p>
<p>Joseph said, "Newlyweds. Don't think I said congratulations yet. S'my fault for not keeping the door locked."</p>
<p>"We'll just be on our way," Nevada-Augustine said.</p>
<p>He cupped his hand against Rogan's arm and started tugging him toward the door. Rogan did his best 'sulk,' which on him looked more like a glower. If Augustine had thought ahead he would've tried to project something across Rogan's face, but it was too late now.</p>
<p>"Hey," Joseph said, as they crossed the doorframe.</p>
<p>Augustine tensed. Ebaugh Enterprises was an engineering consulting firm. There were a few scattered Average and Notable mages with various talents in the sprawling family tree. Joseph was not one of them, but his companion was a complete stranger, and if she had an offensive talent countering an attack would be difficult. Not only would it reveal that he wasn't actually Nevada, but Rogan would definitely respond, and that was a thousand problems that no one needed.</p>
<p>"If you cut out the corner door, you can get into the garden." Joseph grinned. "Have to go past security, but it is what it is."</p>
<p>Nevada-Augustine smiled sheepishly and finished pulling Rogan into the hall. "Shut the door!" he whispered, in an overly loud voice. He heard Joseph and his date laugh to each other as Rogan wordlessly complied with the order.</p>
<p>The door closed, they walked down the hall together. Augustine stepped in front of Rogan to open the door to the stairs and said, "I cannot believe you," still imitating a flustered Nevada. "I told you that was a bad idea. We should never have gone upstairs in the first place." It was difficult to see the first floor landing from here, and if anyone could hear their approach, he wanted it to be convincing.</p>
<p>Rogan pulled out of Augustine's grip to settle his hands on Augustine's hips. He drew Augustine back against his chest and murmured, "Sorry."</p>
<p>Then he kissed Augustine's neck. The illusion made it appear as if Nevada's hair had been brushed aside for Rogan to do so. What it felt like was the press of Rogan's lips just above Augustine's collar. Intimate, gentle, possessive. When Augustine tried to take a step down the stairs, Rogan tightened his grip on Augustine's hips. Augustine inhaled and amended: Distracting.</p>
<p>"We do not have time for this." He put his hands on top of Rogan's and pushed lightly until Rogan pulled back.</p>
<p>"Is that a promise for later?"</p>
<p>"Please just come downstairs."</p>
<p>They had to cross half the house to get back to the party. Augustine would drop the Nevada disguise in a moment, when opening the door would provide some cover. They would be fine as long as Joseph didn't pick up on anything they had did in his office. Somehow, Augustine didn't think that was likely to be a problem.</p>
<p>"Please allow me to handle telling Nevada about what just happened," Augustine said. "I don't want you giving her an exaggerated impression of the situation."</p>
<p>Rogan made a noise that was neither a 'no' nor a 'yes.'</p>
<p>"Rogan. Tell me you won't tell Nevada first."</p>
<p>The shrug Rogan gave was expansive. He did not bother to hide his grin. "I don't know. She might think it was hot."</p>
<p>Augustine felt his face flush. "I assure you that neither Nevada nor myself will agree to make out with me in disguise just so you can watch. If you'd like to ask her, please warn me so I can remove myself from the blast radius."</p>
<p>"Nevada uses guns, not grenades. If she was going to attack me it would be with a bullet, not an explosion."</p>
<p>"She would crush your mind first and we both know it," Augustine said. They had reached the first of the side doors into the ballroom. He put his hand on the doorknob and looked at Rogan for the purpose of glaring him into submission. (It did not work. It never did. Augustine lived in hope.) "At least try to be discreet when you reenter the party."</p>
<p>"Sir," Rogan said.</p>
<p>Augustine didn't bother responding to that. Opening the door briefly blocked him from anyone's view but Rogan's, and he used that moment to reassume his own standard face. He slid back into the crowd and made his way toward the far side of the room, where he suspected Nevada would be waiting for their return.</p>
<p>And he did want to find her first. Before Rogan told his version of nearly getting caught.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>***</p>
<p> </p>
<p>The third time Augustine caught Nevada staring, he put his phone down and said, "I swear my imitation was not unflattering. If I exaggerated anything, it was only to assist in our escape."</p>
<p>She winced and slid down in her chair. The three of them had met back up at the Rogan estate. She and Rogan left not long after Rogan and Augustine broke into Joseph Ebaugh's office, but Augustine had taken an entire hour to excuse himself from the party and follow. It had been a long hour. Long enough to change clothes, take off her makeup, and try grilling Rogan about what he and Augustine had done on the second floor of the Ebaugh house. She'd only gotten a few additional details beyond what Augustine himself had told her they'd done. When Augustine finally arrived, he'd come straight to the kitchen. He still wore his tuxedo. He hadn't had any details to add to the story, either.</p>
<p>"I'm sorry," she said, sipping the last of her tea. "I just can't picture you imitating me."</p>
<p>Augustine actually looked offended. His eyes went bright behind his glasses.</p>
<p>She should've worded that differently.</p>
<p>"You could show her now," Rogan suggested.</p>
<p>Augustine glared at him, then looked back at Nevada. "Don't listen to a word he says."</p>
<p>"I don't know, it might be interesting," Nevada said. She blinked when Rogan started laughing. Augustine had gone bright red. She asked, "All right, what is going on? Are you fighting or flirting?"</p>
<p>"Fighting," Augustine muttered.</p>
<p>Rogan said, "Flirting," at the same time.</p>
<p>Nevada held her mug out to Rogan. "For that, you have to get me a refill."</p>
<p>Rogan gave her a blank look. The mug floated out of her hand to the kitchen countertop. The electric kettle lifted, poured still-steaming water into the mug, and dropped back to the counter. That was followed by a tea bag being dropped into the mug, sugar being stirred in along with it, and the mug itself floating back through the air to settle warmly between Nevada's hands.</p>
<p>"Perhaps you should start making him run laps," Augustine suggested.</p>
<p>"Running laps might be good for both of you," Nevada warned him.</p>
<p>"I already run laps," Rogan said. When Nevada and Augustine both turned to him without saying anything, he crossed his arms over his chest.</p>
<p>Augustine's phone chimed. He picked it up, began typed some reply, and said, "If we're finished discussing the case for tonight and onto our exercise regimens, I should make my way home."</p>
<p>Something flickered through Rogan's eyes. He wasn't looking directly at Nevada, but she felt her skin warm regardless. Rogan leaned forward and smiled a slow smile. Augustine clutched his phone and squared his shoulders like he expected Rogan to lunge across the table and pin him to the wall. (Which had only happened that once, in her old office, but was a moment Nevada now looked at in a different light. Even if she hadn't convinced the two of them to reenact it yet.)</p>
<p>Rogan stretched a leg out under the kitchen table and kicked Augustine's chair.</p>
<p>Nevada inhaled the steam from her tea. It was not calming. It did feel nice.</p>
<p>"Hey," Rogan said. "Didn't you make me a promise tonight?"</p>
<p>"I did not. You solicited a promise, and I ignored it and told you to keep your mind on work. At no point did I accept your proposal or imply that I agreed to your terms."</p>
<p>"True," Nevada said, blowing on her tea.</p>
<p>Augustine smiled. It was the self-satisfied smile of someone who put a lot of energy into winning arguments, and derived a significant amount of pleasure from doing so.</p>
<p>Rogan considered him for a moment, then smiled back.</p>
<p>A pulse of magic sparked through the kitchen. Nevada couldn't see it, but she could feel it.</p>
<p>Augustine shuddered and dropped his phone.</p>
<p>"That was unfair," Nevada said. She put her mug down.</p>
<p>Rogan pushed back from the table and uncrossed his arms so that when Nevada walked up to him, there was space to sit herself in his lap. He looped an arm around her waist. When she put her arms around his shoulders and linked her hands together behind him, he smiled. A flicker of magic brushed Nevada's throat, hot and electric, before slipping down past her collar. If she'd been holding a cell phone, she would've dropped it too.</p>
<p>"It would be unfair if we were fighting," Rogan said. His hand settled on her hip. "But we're not."</p>
<p>"What exactly do you think you're fighting about?" Nevada asked. Using a normal voice while Rogan did things like loop thin ribbons of his magic around her thighs was difficult, but if Augustine could keep a straight face while Rogan was doing whatever it was Rogan had to be doing to him, she would manage.</p>
<p>Across the table, Augustine placed his phone face-down and pushed his glasses up the bridge of his nose. Nevada blinked, and suddenly there were two Rogans: The one holding her, and the one in the chair opposite. Only the Rogan who was actually Augustine still wore a tuxedo, where the actual Rogan had changed into a snug t-shirt and a pair of sweatpants almost as soon as they'd gotten home. (Nevada had, likewise, changed into a loose cotton dress. The silver gown hung on the back of the closet door.)</p>
<p>Not-Rogan shrugged, expansively. It was a perfect recreation of a genuine Rogan shrug.</p>
<p>"That's weird," Nevada said, eyebrows going up.</p>
<p>Not-Rogan grinned. It made his eyes darken.</p>
<p>Nevada said, "Oh," without meaning to, and actually-Rogan snorted.</p>
<p>Then Augustine said, in a perfect projection of Rogan's voice, "I don't know. She might think it was hot."</p>
<p>Nevada blinked. Under her, Rogan grumbled.</p>
<p>The illusion of Rogan broke. Augustine was abruptly himself again, and he looked smug. The one downside Nevada had found to this arrangement was the fact that she was starting to find smugness on Augustine's face attractive. She bit her lip, and Rogan grumbled again. The warm press of his magic fell away from her skin. She wriggled in his lap, like she was about to get up, but he pulled her closer.</p>
<p>"You're going to have to explain that comment," she said, to both of them. Whoever wanted to answer could.</p>
<p>"I told you that Joseph Ebaugh intercepted us before we could leave the second floor. I also told you that in order to preserve plausible deniability I momentarily disguised myself as you," Augustine said. He tilted his head to one side, his perfect blond hair shifting as he did. "What I did not tell you, because contrary to what he may believe I am not always aiming to get him into trouble, is that on our way back to the party I asked him to let me tell you about the incident myself. He treated it with his usual grace."</p>
<p>"Hence…" Nevada cleared her throat. "'She might think it was hot.'"</p>
<p>It was Rogan's turn to look surprised. "Was that supposed to be me?"</p>
<p>"It wasn't a bad imitation," Augustine said. "And yes, hence the comment."</p>
<p>"Huh." Nevada thought about that for a second. Then she kissed Rogan's cheek. "Nice try, but no."</p>
<p>"You liked Augustine wearing my face," Rogan said.</p>
<p>Augustine opened his mouth.</p>
<p>"True," Nevada replied.</p>
<p>Augustine shut his mouth.</p>
<p>"But I'm not going to suggest that the two of you kiss like that."</p>
<p>"I would hope not," Augustine said.</p>
<p>This time, when Nevada wiggled in Rogan's lap, he let her go. She walked around the table. Augustine looked confused and slightly wary until she tapped his shoulder and gestured for him to move back. She sat in his lap, putting both her arms around him, and he responded by carefully curling one hand over her knee and placing his other hand on her back. Augustine was always careful when he touched her. He would protest if she said it, but he was also careful when he touched Rogan. Even when they were arguing. Nevada watched them, she could tell.</p>
<p>"If you're so interested in watching Augustine and I make out," Nevada said, looking at Rogan, and smiling at the way his eyes darkened, "I feel like we could provide a demonstration."</p>
<p>"Look, but don't touch?" Augustine asked.</p>
<p>"Something like that," Nevada said.</p>
<p>She kissed him. He tilted his face up to give her better access, and his grip on her shifted, bracing her so that it was easier to lean into him. Augustine also kissed carefully. It had taken some getting used to at first, but Nevada had grown to like it. The way she had to kiss him twice to convince him she really meant it. The deliberation Augustine put into where to place his hands on her, or how tightly to hold her. How when she opened her eyes he was sometimes looking back at her.</p>
<p>Another pulse of magic danced through the kitchen.</p>
<p>Nevada felt it wrap around the both of them, and she shivered, leaning in to press herself up against Augustine's chest. Rogan's magic bit at her skin and slid across her, over to Augustine, where she couldn't feel it - Except for the way it made Augustine shudder, made him open his mouth so Nevada could kiss him again and slip her tongue into his mouth.</p>
<p>She heard Rogan's chair scrape against the floor. His magic slid over her stomach. Augustine made a rough noise.</p>
<p>'Look, but don't touch' never lasted long.</p>
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